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Questions & Answers about Pido un café mediano.
Is using pido a natural way to order?
Yes. Pido un café mediano is clear and correct. It’s a bit direct/neutral. In real life, many people use slightly softer or more courteous options (see below), but pido is perfectly acceptable.
How can I make it more polite?
Commonly used, polite alternatives:
- Quisiera un café mediano, por favor.
- ¿Me da un café mediano, por favor?
- In Colombia you’ll often hear: ¿Me regala un café mediano, por favor? (It doesn’t mean free; it’s a politeness formula.) Adding por favor helps in any version.
What’s the difference between pedir and preguntar?
- pedir = to ask for/request something (a coffee, help, the check).
- preguntar = to ask a question (to inquire). So you pides un café, but preguntas la hora.
Why the present tense pido? Isn’t it “I ask for,” not “I’d like”?
Spanish often uses the simple present for immediate actions, including ordering. Pido works right at the counter. More tentative/polite tones are quisiera or ¿me da…?
Do I need to say yo pido?
No. Spanish typically drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. Yo pido is only for emphasis or contrast.
Why un and not uno?
Before a masculine noun, uno shortens to un: un café. Use uno only when it stands alone (e.g., counting: uno, dos, tres).
Can I omit the article and say Pido café mediano?
Not when ordering a specific item. For an order, use the article: un café mediano. Without the article sounds generic (like “I drink coffee”) rather than “I’ll have a coffee.”
Why mediano and not mediana?
Adjectives agree with the noun. Café is masculine, so mediano. If you say taza, which is feminine, it becomes una taza mediana de café.
Can mediano go before the noun (e.g., un mediano café)?
No, that sounds unnatural. In Spanish, adjectives usually follow the noun: un café mediano.
Does mediano mean medium roast?
Here, mediano refers to size. For roast level, you’d specify tostado medio or say something like café de tostado medio if the shop offers that distinction.
How do I pronounce it naturally?
- Pido: the d between vowels is soft (not a hard English d).
- café: stress the last syllable; the accent mark shows the stress (ca-FÉ).
- mediano: stress the a (me-di-A-no). The c in café is a hard “k” sound.
How do I make it plural?
- Pido dos cafés medianos. Note the accent in cafés and that medianos agrees in number.
How do I say “to go” or “for here”?
- To go: para llevar (e.g., Un café mediano para llevar).
- For here: para tomar aquí / para tomar acá (many places also accept para aquí).
I heard me regala in Colombia. Are they asking for it free?
No. ¿Me regala…? is a very common polite way to ask for something in Colombia. You still pay; it’s just softening the request.
Is ordenar also used for “to order” (food/drinks)?
Yes, especially in Mexico: Voy a ordenar un café mediano. It’s fine, though everyday speech often sticks to pedir/me da/quisiera.
Is pedir irregular?
Yes, it’s an e→i stem-changer in the present: pido, pides, pide, pedimos, piden. Present participle: pidiendo. Preterite 3rd person: pidió/pidieron.
Would Estoy pidiendo un café mediano be okay at the counter?
It’s grammatical but odd as an order. It sounds like you’re describing the action (e.g., telling a friend on the phone). Just use the simple present or a polite form: Quisiera…, ¿Me da…?
Can this sentence mean a habit?
Yes. Pido un café mediano can be habitual (“I usually order a medium coffee”). To make that clear, add an adverb: Siempre pido un café mediano.
How do I add details like milk, sugar, or decaf?
- Milk: con leche (options: entera, descremada, de almendra, etc.)
- Sugar: con azúcar / sin azúcar
- Decaf: descafeinado Example: Quisiera un café mediano descafeinado, con leche descremada, por favor.
If I want an Americano, what’s the word order with size?
Say either:
- Un americano mediano, or
- Un café americano mediano. Both are common. Adjectives still follow the noun they modify.